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4 Things You Need To Know About Hanging Curtains

Posted on
28 June 2016

If you just purchased your first house, one way to really class it up and give your home its own personality is by hanging up curtains. Here are four things you need to know about hanging up curtains in your new home.

#1 Layer Your Shades

You don't have to just put up a single layer of curtains; you can layer your curtains. For example, you can put some semi-transparent curtains close to your windows, and then put a thicker type of curtain on another rod above the first curtain rod. That way, when you want more light in but still want your windows covered up, you can open the first set of curtains and reveal the second set underneath. Or, when you want to close your curtains to keep out the heat or cold, you can have both sets closed. Semi-transparent curtains, bamboo shades, and roman shades work great as an underlay beneath thicker, traditional curtains.

#2 Hang Your Shades Up High

Even if your windows are small, you can create the illusion inside of your house that it is full of room length windows by using long shades that you hang above your windows. For example, if there is about two feet of wall space between your window and the ceiling, hang your top curtain rod (if you decide to layer the curtains) about a foot and a half about your window. Leaving a little space between your wall and your window can create almost an imaginary border around your home; of course, you can also put the curtains just a few inches below your ceiling if you really want the complete floor-to-to ceiling effect.

Just make sure that the curtains you purchase are long enough to cover your windows and go almost all the way to the ground.

#3 Leave Room Underneath

When purchasing your curtains and determining how high you want to place them, think about where they will fall. If you want to be able to easily clean under your windows, you should make sure that your curtains fall a couple of inches above the floor. If that is not a concern for you, you can have your curtains brush the floor. If your curtains brush the floor you may need to wash them more frequently as they will pick up dirt from the floor.

#4 Go Wide

Finally, it is also smart to go little wide when hanging your curtains. When you hang up your curtain rods, you may want to put the hooks for the rods into the wall six to twelve inches past the edge of your window; generally, the rod will extend past the hooks. When you do this, the curtains you hang up will be able to complete cover the front and sides of your windows. If you ever want to open your curtains, it will also give you space to pull back the curtains fully so that your entire window is exposed. Contact a business that specializes in drapery for more information.